12.—(1) Where it appears to the Minister, after consultation with the public assistance authorities of two or more public assistance districts, that the joint management and administration of such public assistance districts for all or for any particular purposes of or connected with the administration of public assistance would tend to reduce expense or would otherwise be of public or local advantage, the Minister may by order direct that the administration of public assistance in such public assistance districts shall, for the purposes specified in such order, be managed and conducted jointly by the respective public assistance authorities of such public assistance districts through and by a joint committee to be set up under and in accordance with such order.

(2) Every order made by the Minister under the next preceding sub-section of this section shall—

(a) provide for the setting up of a joint committee for the purposes of such order and the constitution, membership, procedure, finance, and officers of such committee, and

(b) define the functions of such joint committee and, where appropriate, delimit the respective functions of such joint committee and of the public assistance authorities of the public assistance districts forming the functional area of such joint committee, and

(c) make such provision as the Minister shall think proper for the allocation to such joint committee of appropriate portions of the assets and property of such public assistance authorities and for the defrayal by such public assistance authorities of the liabilities of such joint committee and generally for the adjustment between such public assistance authorities respectively and such joint committee of present and future property and liabilities, and

(d) provide for the vesting of all property acquired by such joint committee in such public assistance authorities in such proportions and manner as the Minister shall think proper and shall specify in such order, and

(e) generally make such provisions as shall appear to the Minister to be necessary or proper for securing the due execution by such joint committee of the purposes for which it is constituted.

(3) When a joint committee is set up by an order made by the Minister under this section, the respective public assistance authorities of the several public assistance districts forming the functional area of such joint committee shall cease to exercise or perform such of their respective powers and duties as are included by such order in the functions of such joint committee and the said powers and duties shall be exercised and performed by such joint committee.

(4) The Minister may at any time at his discretion revoke or amend any order previously made by him under this section and, in particular, may at any time by order dissolve a joint committee set up under this section and make all such provisions as appear to him to be necessary or proper for the restoration of the functions of such joint committee to the several public assistance authorities to which such functions originally belonged or for any other purpose consequential on the dissolution of such joint committee.